Basketball hoops in streets targeted by Brocton

M.J. STAFFORD

mstafford@observertoday.com\

BROCTON — A village resident complained to the Village Board recently that she was singled out for having a basketball hoop in the street, while other people were allowed to have them. Officials denied that she was getting targeted exclusively.

Susan Conklin said she received a letter from the village telling her to move the hoop. “You’re putting your property on the street. We don’t allow that,” Village Attorney Peter Clark told her.

Conklin asked what law banned her from putting a basketball hoop on the street in front of her house. Clark said there was no specific law, but one is in the works. In the meantime, since the village owns her street, it can tell her to remove property that it does not want placed there, he said.

Village Mayor Richard Frost said two other residents besides Conklin were asked to remove basketball hoops from the streets in front of their houses. They received the same letter she did, he said.

Conklin said that there was an “unofficial law” against basketball hoops. “Don’t put your stuff on the street,” said Clark. “Are you gonna put your stuff on your neighbor’s lawn?”

One thing village officials and Conklin agreed on: Brocton kids who want to play basketball ought to have a place within the village to do so.

Village Trustee Bryan Woleben noted there used to be a court at the Brocton Fire Hall, but that had to be removed because kids were getting too rowdy and sticking around the area at nights after the court was supposed to be closed at 9 p.m.

“We are talking about redoing that,” said Frost. Woleben noted that cameras could be installed to keep an eye on the court and help identify any troublemakers.

Addressing Conklin, the mayor said, “There was nothing directed at you, nothing directed at any individual.” He said it is strictly a liability issue, stating that someone has threatened to sue the village if he hit a basketball hoop while driving on its streets.